ONS: 19 January 2015

AFRICA: Boko Haram attacked a village in northern Cameroon killing three people and staging its largest kidnapping in the country to date.

AMERICAS: US congressional delegates anticipated meeting Cuban President Castro, in the highest-level meeting since last months detante declaration.

ASIA: Indonesian FM spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the withdrawal of the Dutch and Brazil ambassadors will not disturb its diplomatic ties with those countries.

EUROPE: The EU announced that 28 foreign ministers will discuss concerns surrounding the return of radicalized Europeans whom have fought in Iraq and Syria.

MIDDLE EAST: Uncertainty and tensions continued to rise following decision by ICC prosecutors to launch an inquiry into Israeli war crimes against the Palestine.

TECHNOLOGY: Japanese PM Abe and his Israeli counterpart PM Netanyahu said the two countries will strengthen cooperation in countering cyberattacks and promote exchanges between defense officials.

TOP STORY

Yemen: Fears of potential coup, military clashes with Houthi rebels

Heavy clashes between Yemeni security forces and Houthi rebels spread across downtown Sanaa, with the country’s information minister telling Al Jazeera there could be a “new Yemen” by the end of the day.

Rebel Shiite Houthis battled soldiers near Yemen’s presidential palace and elsewhere across the capital, seizing control of the country’s state-run media in a move an official called “a step toward a coup.”

Shiite militia clashed with Yemen’s army and fired on a convoy carrying the prime minister as pressure mounted on the embattled government of President Hadi.

Tensions between the government and the Houthis escalated when rebels abducted the president’s chief of staff on Saturday.

Palestine: Uncertainty and tensions continued to rise following decision by ICC prosecutors to launch an inquiry into Israeli war crimes against the non-state. (WP)

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS

Cyber Security: Japanese PM Abe and his Israeli counterpart PM Netanyahu said the two countries will strengthen cooperation in countering cyberattacks and promote exchanges between defense officials. (Kyodo)